![]() Something breaks in the arcade daily, and being able to keep that machine on the floor often depends on whether or not you already have the parts needed to fix it. People underestimate how much work goes into keeping the machines maintained. Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? We talked about it for a bit and decided it would be a good idea for me to run with it and we opened up Electric Bat Arcade. At Zapcon a couple years back, the owners of one of Arizona’s legendary bars, Yucca Tap Room, came up to me and asked me to help them put an arcade in the bar. I kept filling my home arcade with pinballs and other arcade games, met lots of other collectors and co-founded Zapcon, Phoenix’s local arcade and pinball convention. ![]() For most people pinball machines are like great chips or popcorn, you can’t have just one. ![]() This was the machine I remembered playing the most when I was younger and I really wanted to own one so as soon as I saw it pop up, I called and scrambled to be the first one there to buy it. My first purchase was an Addam’s Family pinball. I saved up money for what seemed like a year while I kept my eyes on Craig’s List looking for local deals. I began collecting pinball machines around 2010. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there. Thanks for sharing your story with us Rachel. And the seats of each of the bar stools are covered with the sort of glittery silver vinyl that would make Ziggy Stardust proud.Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Bess. Bracamonte says they're also going to have custom-made Stardust Pinbar tokens available to use (although the machines will also accept regular quarters).Ī large bar at one end of the lounge features more than 8,500 pinballs encased in the glass bar top. Games will cost anywhere from $.50 to $1 to play. I have 25 games total and they're all good titles. "I’ve got about five more machines and I'm going to rearrange things in here a little bit to add them all in," he says. “We’ll have plastic curtains on the other side to make it look like a real walk-in cooler.”īenjamin Leatherman There are more than dozen machines set up for play inside the lounge, including titles like Cirqus Voltaire, Arabian Nights, Monster Bash, The Beatles, Addams Family, Junkyard, Centaur, and The Simpsons.īracamonte, who also co-owns Cobra Arcade Bar in Tucson and downtown Phoenix, brought in all the games and is planning to have more available as time goes on. You don't know if you're supposed to be back there or not, like you’re walking into our fridge,” Bracamonte says. They won’t find any pizza fixings inside, as the door leads straight to the lounge. ![]() To get into Stardust Pinbar, patrons will have to go through swinging double doors and down a small hallway to what looks like the door to Ziggy’s walk-in refrigerator. (Both spots are a reference to Bowie and his legendary character Ziggy Stardust.) Stardust Pinbar is located in the same downtown building as popular concert joint The Van Buren and is situated next door to the newly opened Ziggy’s Pizza, which Bracamonte and his partners also own. ![]() (The official grand opening will happen on Friday, August 16.) But first, they’ll have to find their way inside. “It lights up in all kinds of crazy ways and is just fun.”Īnd Stardust Pinbar patrons can start busting moves on the dance floor on Saturday, August 10, during its soft opening. “We just thought it would be funny to have a floor like that for people to dance on,” Bracamonte says. Benjamin Leatherman Bracamonte, who partnered with local restaurateur Tucker Woodbury and local developer Chuckie Duff on Stardust Pinbar, says the 15-by-15-foot light-up dance floor was another silly idea they had. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |